CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO

{ THE RÉUNION}

I woke up with a start, my body drenched in sweat. The dream was vivid, a haunting reminder of the battle with the cloaked man and the ninjas. The emblem on their chests, the sensation of the power coursing through me after disarming them—it was all so real. I knew that the system upgrade had only begun to reveal its full potential, and I needed to stay sharp. There was no time to waste. I got up slowly, cleaning up the sweat on my forehead. It felt real, being back in the system world, and the capture felt so real that I began to doubt if I had really killed the cloak man.

The first rays of dawn filtered through the newly reconstructed windows, casting long shadows on the floor. My mind raced with thoughts of my friends, my enemies, and the looming threats. I had to get moving. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I grabbed my phone and headed out the door.

The streets were unusually quiet as I made my way to the university. The serenity of the morning was a